Borussia Dortmund is one of the most successful and popular clubs in Germany and Europe, with a rich history and a passionate fan base. The club has produced and attracted some of the finest players in the world, who have left their mark on the club and the game.

In this article, we will pay tribute to some of the Borussia Dortmund legends who have made the club what it is today.

Matthias Sammer

Matthias Sammer is regarded as one of the best German players and one of the most influential figures in Borussia Dortmund’s history. He joined the club in 1993 from Inter Milan and quickly became the leader and the star of the team.

He played as a sweeper, a defensive midfielder, or an attacking midfielder, depending on the situation, and was known for his versatility, intelligence, and determination. He led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles in 1995 and 1996 and the UEFA Champions League title in 1997, beating Juventus in the final.

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He also won the Ballon d’Or in 1996, becoming the first defender to do so. He left the club in 1998 to join Bayern Munich, but his legacy at Dortmund remains intact.

Marco Reus

#von links: Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig, 14), Marco
Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsReuss (BVB, 11); Laufduell

Marco Reus is the current captain and talisman of Borussia Dortmund and one of the most beloved players in the club’s history. He was born and raised in Dortmund and joined the club’s youth academy at seven. He left the club in 2006 to join Rot Weiss Ahlen and then moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2009, where he established himself as one of the best young players in Germany.

Reus returned to Dortmund in 2012 and has since become the face and the heart of the team. He plays as a winger, a playmaker, or a striker and is known for his speed, skill, creativity, and goalscoring. He has won three DFB-Pokal titles and four DFL-Supercup titles with Dortmund and has scored over 150 goals for the club. He has also been named the German Footballer of the Year twice, in 2012 and 2019.

Manfred Burgsmüller

Manfred Burgsmüller was one of the greatest goalscorers in German football history and one of the most prolific strikers in Borussia Dortmund’s history. He joined the club in 1976 from Rot-Weiss Essen and stayed until 1983, scoring 135 goals in 224 games.

He played as a centre-forward and was known for his powerful shots, aerial ability, and clinical finishing. He won the Bundesliga title with Dortmund in 1976 and was the league’s top scorer in 1981 and 1982. He also played for Werder Bremen, Nuremberg, and Rot-Weiss Oberhausen and retired in 1990 at 40. He is the third-highest scorer in Bundesliga history, with 213 goals in 447 games.

Lars Ricken

Northwood09, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lars Ricken is a Borussia Dortmund legend who spent his entire career at the club, from 1993 to 2008. He played as a midfielder and was known for his energy, vision, and long-range shooting. He was a key member of the Dortmund team that won the Bundesliga title in 1996 and the UEFA Champions League title in 1997. He scored one of the most memorable goals in the club’s history when he came off the bench and lobbed the Juventus goalkeeper from 30 metres in the final, sealing a 3-1 win for Dortmund.

Read: Borussia Dortmund all time top scorers

Robert Lewandowski

Thomas Rodenbücher, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Robert Lewandowski played for Borussia Dortmund from 2010 to 2014 and was a key part of the team that won the Bundesliga title in 2011 and reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2013. He scored 103 goals in 187 appearances for the club and was known for his clinical finishing and work rate on the pitch.

Lewandowski has since become one of the best strikers in the world, playing for Bayern Munich and winning multiple Bundesliga titles and Champions League trophies.